


Singularity

by septnanis



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Drama, Engagement, F/M, Future Fic, Kissing, M/M, Romance, Wedding Planning, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-11-14 13:12:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18053144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/septnanis/pseuds/septnanis
Summary: Sora asked him. So they were going to do it.Sequel to 'If you'll be mine'.





	1. Chapter 1

Kairi said they were going to have a _society wedding_.

 

That is, once she and Sora managed to calm down. Riku had no idea what that meant, a society wedding, but Kairi being the adopted daughter of the mayor back home and in the upper circle in Radiant Garden clearly did.

 

“You two are famous!” Kairi said. She had come to the Land of Departure for a visit, because her two best friends getting engaged demanded a celebration of some kind. Sora had scrounged up afew bottles of wine from the kitchen and now they were spread out in their living room. Kairi had taken over one of their couches and Riku sat on the other, Sora on the floor between his knees with his back to the couch. “Don’t you shake your head at me, Master Riku of Destiny Islands, just last week at Garden a woman blushed when I mentioned that you were my friend.”

 

Sora let out a slightly snorty giggle, which meant he was on his way to too much wine. “Riku’s beauty is worlds-renowned!”

 

Riku gave the back of Sora’s head a little nudge. “I’m taking that wine from you, you nerd.”

 

“I’m not a nerd, it’s the truth,” Sora leaned his head back so he could look Riku in the eye, even if it was upside down. “My fiancée is a bonafide,” He took another sip of wine and Riku’s eye twitched. “absolute,” Kairi held up her glass with an overly serious face as if they were going to toast at a formal occasion. Sora swallowed and held up his own glass. “dreamboat of a man.”

 

“Here, here!” Kairi called out and drained whatever wine was left in her glass. “I happen to agree with that. I mean, Riku, you’re my best friend and I have no designs on you whatsoever because I don’t know it’d be weird now I guess, but puberty hit you like a twelve-person Gummiship.”

 

If Riku hadn’t been sitting behind Sora he’d have seen him nodding sagely. “I thought we were talking about the wedding.”

 

“We’re multitasking… are you blushing?” Kairi cried out, eyes laughing. “You are blushing! Sora, do you never tell this man how good looking he is that one compliment is enough to push him over the edge and into an abyss of physical embarrassment?”

 

Luckily Sora’s glass was empty, because he threw his hands in the air dramatically. “I tell him all the time! All the time, Kairi. He’s probably just immune to it from me now.” That was a lie, Riku never got tired of hearing Sora tell him he was attracted to him. “Coming from you… tell him about that dream you had of him once…”

 

Kairi slammed her glass on the small table between them, looking at Sora like he’d revealed her most horrible secret. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

 

“What dream?” Riku asked, sitting up and looking amused. “Come on, tell me.” It was amusing to see Kairi a little embarrassed, especially because it meant the tables had been turned on her.

 

“Just some silly dream I had… it was years ago, so it doesn’t matter.”

 

Sora however, clearly thought it did matter. “It was after we defeated Xemnas in the World that Never Was.” He reached for the bottle of wine to pour more but Riku hooked a finger in his collar and pulled him back. “Ugh, let me go.” Riku did not let him go.

 

“Sora, I swear to… if you don’t stop talking you’ll be sorry!” She sat up so she was sitting on her knees on their couch, hands on her hips. If she didn’t have such glassy eyes and red cheeks from the wine she’d almost look formidable.

 

Not one to back down from a challenge, Sora soldiered on. “She told me she had a dream about you and her and you two… did stuff.”

 

“You are so dead.” Kairi said, looking straight at Sora with a gaze so intense it could melt steel. “Not that it even matters, because it was ages ago and I was a teenager so that sort of thing just happened. Like you haven’t had a million dreams about Riku!”

 

Riku imagined he could leave the room and they would still be able to have this discussion without him even there.

 

“Not like Riku would know what to do with a girl, anyway.” Suddenly Riku was back in the conversation after what Sora said. He gave Sora’s short brown hair a tug. “Ouch! What? You don’t like girls! You never have, you told me yourself!”

 

Even if he did like girls, Riku had never been with anyone besides Sora. He wasn’t eager to find out what it would be like. He had never been attracted to women, not when he’d been a teenager and not in the present. He could appreciate a woman’s beauty, but that really was the extent of it. Thinking back, he’d never felt that way about Kairi either, even if he did think his other best friend was very pretty. The absolute prettiest, if she ever asked him to his face.

 

“Can we please get back to talking about our wedding, before someone summons their Keyblade?” It wouldn’t be the first time.

 

“Yes! Thank you.” Kairi replied and gave Sora one last half-hearted glare. “You two are known by everybody, so the guest list is obviously going to be a mile long.”

 

“Don’t we get to decide who’s invited?” Riku asked, failing to see why they needed to invite everybody. The idea of being the center of attention while so many people stared at him was not something he was looking forward to.

 

Strong fingers wrapped around his calves suddenly, as if Sora could sense his discomfort.

 

“Of course! But, where do you draw the line who gets to come and who doesn’t?”

 

Sora held up a hand and began counting. “Obviously our parents! And Donald and Goofy, all the Keyblade Masters and Wielders, of course.” He’d already ran out of fingers but he kept going. “The King and Queen Minnie, everyone at the castle in Radiant Garden, oh and…”

 

“Hey, why don’t we both just write down who we’d like to invite and we’ll put them side by side and make a definitive list.” Riku offered, running a hand over Sora’s head. Sora looked up at him and smiled brilliantly.

 

“That’s so smart, Riku! We’ll do that.”

 

He could see the wine starting to really do its thing in Sora’s eyes, a sleepy weight settling on his eyelids. “Time for bed. We can figure out the rest tomorrow. Can’t be too much work, and it’s not for another five months.” They’d decided to get married in the spring, because summers on the Islands were unbearably hot for people who weren’t used to the climate and autumn on the Island was basically their rainy season. Spring was still a tropical climate, but a bearable one.

 

“You’re in for a surprise, my friend.” Kairi said, standing up from the couch on slightly wobbly legs. Her delicate build made her look like a deer standing up and Riku managed to contain his smirk. “There is so much to think about when it comes to weddings. Flowers, food, drinks, location, guest list, table settings, the ceremony, the vows, the reception…”

 

The almost smirk on his face dropped immediately. That sounded like they were preparing for a very fancy war. In fact, he’d prepared battles that sounded less complicated than that.

 

“Better get a good night’s sleep,” She said as she made her way to the door so she could sway down the hall to her guest room. “because once you let that silly boy put that pretty ring on your finger you signed yourself up to some challenge.”

 

Both men were silent once she shut the door behind her. Usually Sora was loose limbed and flirty whenever he drank wine, but now he looked thoughtful.

 

“We don’t have to make it as complicated as she makes it sound, right?” He asked, pulling his shirt over his head as he made his way to the bathroom. Meanwhile Riku picked up the glasses on the table and the empty bottle of wine to set it aside so they could clean it up in the morning. “I mean, we already know where we’re having the ceremony. And I guess we could have the reception there too?”

 

“I don’t know, out in the hot sun all day in fancy clothes? Maybe here, or Radiant Garden?” Riku suddenly realised they really did have their work cut out for them. And five months? What was five months when they didn’t even know where they were going to stage half their wedding?

 

Sora was in a pair of wide sleeping pants and a heather gray shirt that made his skin look bronze. He exited their bathroom and walked straight up to Riku so he could slide his arms around the other man’s waist. “Oh boy, we’re really in for it, aren’t we?”

 

Riku wrapped his arms around Sora’s shoulders and squeezed him close. “We can run away and elope. You, me, a preacher in some seaside temple? We’ll live happily ever after.” He leaned down and kissed Sora, his lips perfect and warm against his own. “I’ll even spring for that fancy hotel in the tourist district back home we always wanted to stay at.” He said when the kiss broke.

 

The laughter that broke from Sora was infectious and made him look so beautiful. “The one with all the blue mosaic? See, I knew there was a reason I gave you a ring and asked you to be my one and only.” It was the only hotel on Destiny Islands that could be considered fancy, they had admired it when they were boys but never expected to be able to stay there. Fishermen’s and dock workers’ sons didn’t stay there.

 

Sora stood on his tiptoes and gave Riku a kiss of his own, one that shot heat through Riku’s veins and made his knees just a little wobbly. How Sora could still do that to him after ten years was one of the greatest mysteries of Riku’s life, one he planned holding onto for a very long time to come. “Take me to bed and remind me of another reason I asked you?”

 

Riku slid his arms down, lifted Sora by the hips so the other could wrap his legs around Riku’s own, carried him to bed and proceeded to do just that, Sora laughing low in his ear.

 

—-

 

_5 months_

 

The migraines had been a shock to both of them. When the young, cruel hearted manifestation of Xehanort had taunted Sora with the consequences of his use of the power of waking Riku had prepared himself for the worst — and been confronted with it when he lost Sora — but the first time he found Sora curled up on the bathroom floor, mumbling about how his head hurt and the dizziness and nausea he hadn’t thought to connect the dots.

 

It had dawned on them that his random bouts of illness were caused by the misuse of the power of waking. The migraines would creep up on him when he had been pushing himself too hard, or after a tough battle.

 

Riku threw himself headfirst into research what could be the actual cause, and what they might do to help him. After several conversations with Yen Sid, Mickey and even Ansem the Wise they had come to the conclusion a form of damage, like scar tissue remained in Sora’s heart, a painful reminder of what he had sacrificed to save his friends and all the worlds.

 

Much to his surprise, when Riku offered to dive into the deepest parts of Sora’s heart to see if he could heal the damage that had been left behind Sora had refused _vehemently_. Riku wouldn’t be himself if he hadn’t tried to push, born from an inherent need to protect him, but it had led to an argument that had led to silent treatment for a few days and an almost tearful apology from both of them.

During a visit to Radiant Garden, Sora had begged off from dinner, his face a little pale.

 

“You feeling okay?” Riku asked, his hand on Sora’s cheek, which felt a little too warm for Riku’s liking. “You’ve been quiet all day.”

 

Sora sighed and leaned into the touch. “Think I can feel one coming up, wouldn’t want to spoil everyone’s dinner by falling off my chair or throwing up on the floor.”

 

“You’ve been feeling bad all day?” Riku asked. “You should’ve told me.”

 

“Don’t fuss,” Even more color drained from Sora’s face and worry churned in Riku’s gut. “I just need to lay down for a little while and I’ll be fine.”

 

They had come to Radiant Garden to do several things, mainly starting preparations for the wedding, seeing Kairi, Lea and their other friends and because Riku wanted to have another conversation — as much as he was loathe to — with Ansem the Wise about Sora’s migraines. It was pure coincidence that he happened to be in the beginning throes of one. Ansem had after all, done the most research in Sora’s heart and he wasn’t satisfied the older man was telling him everything there was to know about the situation.

 

Going entirely against his nature, Riku kissed Sora’s forehead and steered him towards their bed. “Okay, but promise me you’ll stay in bed and try to sleep.” Another side effect of the migraines was that they made Sora restless and jumpy, and Riku would walk in on him pacing up and down the room, the heels of his hands buried in his eyes, mumbling about how his head was pounding, or that he was going to be sick.

 

Sora nodded, “The idea of food right now makes me feel a little sick,” He let Riku lead him to bed, and barely protested when the other man divested him of his jacket and shoes. “But bring something back for me?”

 

Riku tucked him under the blankets and kissed him once more. “Yeah, I will. Get some sleep, sunshine.”

 

Sora gave the barest hint of a smile at the petname and then buried himself deep in their blankets, shutting out the light in the room.

 

—-

 

“I’ve told you all I know before, Riku.” Ansem the Wise and Riku had a complicated relationship to say the least. Even after so many years since everything that had happened between them, there was still something about the man that put Riku on edge. “To be honest, I understand why Sora is so set on not allowing you to do what you’re proposing.”

 

The last thing Riku needed was for more people discouraging him. “How do you mean?”

 

“Well, you’ve done it twice now.” Ansem said. “And both times you got out by the skin of your teeth.”

 

“When I was a teenager and having never done it before. I’ve been a Master for ten years now, it’s different.” Riku crossed his arms.

 

“In a way it is, you are very different.” Ansem stood and walked over to his computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard. An image of what looked like an outline of Sora, with multiple windows of information next to it appeared. “And much more powerful, perhaps more so than we know.” He pressed another button and zoomed in on Sora’s heart. He could see the little files that contained data about those who had inhabited Sora’s heart, how Sora had been a heartless at some point, information that Ansem had gathered while he had slept in the pod for a year. “But Sora’s heart is still mostly an enigma to us. We know he can house other’s hearts in his own, but we don’t know how. With so little knowledge to go on, I feel uncomfortable supporting you going in there, especially since it seems to be causing him such distress.”

Riku turned sharply. “Which is why I need to go down there and see what it is, even if there’s nothing I can do about it… it’s not getting any better. It’s not getting any worse, but it’s certainly not getting any better.”

 

“Riku, you have to think about consigning yourself to the fact that this may be the consequence of Sora’s choice to use the power of waking, and therefor something he’ll have to learn to live with.”

 

It may have had something to do with the fact that it was the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear, or the fact that it was Ansem the Wise saying it to him, but rage suddenly flooded Riku and he slammed his fast on the nearest surface to him. “What do you want me to do? How bad does it have to get… does he need to be lying on the ground, screaming his head off because he can’t take the pain anymore?”

 

“You just said it’s not getting any worse.”

 

“But it could!” Riku threw his hands up.

 

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation when you’re ready to have it as the level-headed man I know you are.”

 

Riku turned on his heel and began to leave the room, his rage already settling and replaced with intent. “No need. I’ll figure this out on my own.”

 

It was quite possible Ansem said something worthwhile before he let the door shut behind him, but he didn’t hear it.

 

—-

 

Mornings in Radiant Garden were so pretty, Sora loved waking up early to watch the light fade from orangey pink to bright white. He’d slept hard, falling asleep right after Riku had left and he hadn’t heard the other man come in.

 

He stretched and rolled over with the expectation of finding his fiancée’s warm body but was met with cooling sheets. He looked up and saw Riku sitting at the end of the bed, giving Sora a look of intense focus.

 

“H-hey Riku… you okay?”

 

“Sure,” Riku replied, “I talked to Ansem yesterday. While you were sleeping.”

 

The small smile on Sora’s face dropped just a bit. He nodded as his only reply.

 

“I talked to him about the migraines. He agrees with me that diving is likely the only way to fix it but,” Sora’s chest puffed up and the content feeling he had when he woke up was gone already. Riku continued. “He thinks the risk is too incalculable if we’re not sure.”

 

It wasn’t often that Sora felt a connection with Ansem, but right now he could hug the man. Maybe it would work and persuade Riku not to keep pushing to go through with it. “But, let me guess, you want to do it anyway.”

 

“I want to help you, Sora. This isn’t just going to go away on its own.” He crawled up to where Sora was sitting upright, the blankets covering him up to his waist. “I have to…”

 

“No,” Sora shook his head and grabbed onto Riku’s shirt. “You don’t _have_ to do anything. Because Ansem is right. What happens if it goes bad? Who saves you? What if you get stuck down there?” His breathing was picking up, and it almost felt the way it did when he got a migraine out of nowhere. “You barely made it out the first time, and the second time… and both times were my own fault. And now it’s my fault again!” His throat felt a little warm but his eyes were dry. “It was worth it. Setting the worlds to right, saving Kairi, keeping you safe… it was worth it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.” He placed both hands on the sides of Riku’s face. “I can handle it.”

 

Riku was quiet, his face felt warmer in the cradle of Sora’s hands. He could close his eyes and sit there for hours like that. The shape of Sora’s hands, the feeling and the smell of his skin, it made his heart steady and he was suddenly aware of the ring on his finger.

 

“Please,” Riku said. “let me help you. I can’t bear to spend the rest of my life watching you in pain.” In some ways he knew he was playing dirty, but he did mean every word of it. Seeing Sora hurt or sick or sad or any other pain lit a fire in him every time. “I’ve got five months to prove I’m worthy of standing with you. Please.”

 

Sora gripped his hands and looked up to the side, looking conflicted and uneasy. “I’m not agreeing. You can’t change my mind that easily. But…” Riku’s face lit up and Sora did his best to look stern. “But we are going to figure out how many precautions we can take and we are going to take every single one and I swear if so much as a thing goes wrong,” He held up a finger. “One thing, Riku, and it’s a no deal. You get out and that’s that.” He knocked his forehead gently against Riku’s. “And don’t tell me you need to prove anything to me. You’ve been worthy to stand by my side since the minute I met you.”

 

Suddenly he was in Riku’s arms, both of them wrapped around him like a great big snake. Unable to stay to irritated with so much of his best friend surrounding him, Sora slid his arms around Riku too and sighed. All Sora hoped was that he wasn’t going to end up regretting it.

 

—-

 

_4 months_

 

Terra was roused from his paperwork by a knock at the door. It was likely one of the students, they tended to come around if they had questions because they knew he was alone in his office around that time of day.

 

“Come in.” He said and the door opened.

 

It wasn’t however, one of the students.

 

“Riku,” Terra said, leaning back in his chair. “What can I do for you?”

 

It was hard to believe the man in front of him was the same person as the little boy he’d met on the beach of Destiny Islands so long ago. He’d been so earnest then, and so determined to protect what mattered to him — his home and his friends — and now he was a force to be reckoned with. Smart, strong, powerful and above all, kind. There was an underlying rage in Riku, Terra understood that all too well, but it was kept so neatly under control. But over that rage, a layer of compassion and understanding that made it difficult not to respect him.

 

“Uhm, well,” For some reason the younger man seemed almost shy. “You see, the wedding’s in five months, and back home it’s tradition to have a joint witness, and we’ve asked Kairi to be ours.”

 

“I’m sure she’s very excited about that.” Terra replied with a smile.

 

Riku sat down in the chair on the opposite side of Terra’s desk. It was usually reserved for students who came in for questions or guidance, but it occasionally sat Aqua , who would come in to spend a few minutes away from her busy day. He grinned, “Oh yeah, though I’m pretty sure she was fully expecting the job, no matter how we felt about it.”

 

Terra returned the grin with a smile of his own.

 

“So, it’s also tradition for each person to have a witness of their own. Someone who can stand by them during the ceremony. I was wondering if you’d be mine.”

The question hung in the air, because Terra had no idea that was what Riku had come in to ask him. They were friends without a doubt, and Terra felt a connection with Riku, who like him, still felt the resonance of their fall to darkness, and preferred to keep to themselves sometimes. He cleared his throat.

 

“I… that’s quite a request, Riku.” Terra replied and he saw something flicker in Riku’s eyes and the corners of his mouth drop a bit. “What would you be asking me to do?”

 

Riku’s smile returned slightly, “Ah, well, not much really. I’d be asking you to give me guidance until the ceremony and you’d stand with me on the day itself while Sora and I make the oaths.” He lowered his eyes and Terra thought he suddenly looked very young, as if just the thought of marrying his childhood friend made everything he’d been through the past decade or so melt away completely. “But you already give me guidance, as a colleague… and as a friend. In a way, you handing me that Keyblade is one of the reasons I’m marrying him.”

 

When Terra saw the two of them together, it was difficult to believe they would be end up any other way than together, no matter what the circumstances of their past were. But he also knew that it hadn’t been an easy road for either of them. “It’s a great honor, Riku. Really, I’m touched you’d even think to ask me.”

 

The smile Riku gave him was equal parts shy and pleased.

 

“Before I accept, can I ask you something?”

 

Riku nodded, “Of course.”

 

“Why are you marrying him?” He’d married Aqua six years ago after she had asked him. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of saying no. They were committed to each other in every sense of the word, and marrying her merely felt like a formality to a situation that was already clear.

 

Riku however, looked thoughtful.

 

“I think about it sometimes,” He held up his hand to look at the ring Sora had given him. “We’ve been together ten years. I’ve been in love with him since before I honestly knew what it meant. Didn’t always deal with it well.” Terra had heard the stories, the conflict between the two of them when their world had been invaded by the Heartless the first time. “Once I realised he was my most precious person, I kept telling myself he’d never feel that way about me.”

 

Riku ran his thumb over the smooth metal of the ring, as if it were just as precious to him as Sora was. “When he went to save Kairi, I’d never felt so hopeless. The minute he was gone, I couldn’t believe I’d just let him go. But I wanted him to believe in himself, no matter if it meant…” He cleared his throat and lowered his hands so they both lay on his lap.

 

“As you know, I couldn’t help myself for long. What was I supposed to do with myself if he was drifting out there? All my strength, being a master, none of it mattered if I couldn’t protect him.” He looked down and laughed a little. “I thought for sure that was it, that we’d finally met our match. So I just told him, I had nothing left to lose anyway. I thought he knew, but just never wanted to hurt me by flat out rejecting me.”

 

Terra sat back in his chair, even though he knew the story, he’d been around for a good part of it, he was still enraptured to hear it from Riku’s point of view.

 

“He didn’t know. And when we got back I had to face the fact that he did then and that moment I’d been dreading for so long was finally upon me. I never thought he wouldn’t want to be my friend, I don’t think he even knows how to not be friends with people, so long as they’re good or at least try to be. And we’d been friends forever.” Riku cleared his throat. “So I decided to leave. I already knew he was going to break my heart, but I didn’t want to force him to do so. I didn’t want him to be the person who had to do that.”

 

“And then?” Terra asked, having only vaguely heard about what had gone on between Riku and Sora before they had gotten together. It was like reading a story, where everything seems to be hanging in the balance and it was unclear how it could be set to right again. It was exciting, no matter if Terra already knew the outcome.

 

“Turns out in between fighting Heartless and the Organization and sleeping for a year and everything else, he’d barely had a moment to figure out how he felt about most things… nobody had really given him the time to breathe and figure himself out. He begged me to stay with him.” Riku shrugged. “In the end, I couldn’t say no to him. Never could, probably never will be able to either.”

 

This is the part of the story Terra knew.

 

“After he knew, I suppose I just resigned myself to not being as precious to him as he was to me, no matter how bad I wanted to be. I felt like I could be myself again with him, we went everywhere. We went to every world we could find our way to. For the first time in years, he and I had _fun_ together.” His eyes seemed to shine with the memories he was clearly recalling. “And two months after we left Destiny Islands, we were in Corona. Some festival to celebrate the harvest, and Sora was dying to see Rapunzel again.” Riku’s smile grew warm again. “He kissed me. Just like that, in the middle of the crowd, where everyone could see. Then he apologised to me, for taking so long to figure out I was his most precious person too.”

 

For a moment, Terra was reminded of how he and Aqua had found each other. After all the years of hardship and pain, they had still come together, an innocence between them that had survived despite everything. In a way, Riku and Sora were so similar to them, in so many ways.

 

Riku looked at Terra, suddenly very earnest, the same way he had looked at Terra when he was a little boy and his little friend was waiting for him on the pier so they could go home.

 

“He’s my backbone.” Riku said. “I can’t _not_ marry him, Terra.”

 

It wasn’t at all the response he was expecting, the whole tale of how they had gotten together. Terra expected there was a great deal more to the story than what he was getting, but it was a story for another time.

 

“Then I can’t _not_ be your witness, Riku.” He said, his smile heartfelt and broad. “I’m honored to do so.”

 

When Riku stood, Terra followed and when their hands clasped together to seal his request it felt like it had when he had offered Riku his Keyblade, his tiny hand around the hilt now grown and strong in his own hand.

 

—-

 

_3 months_

 

“I think maybe the blue, Sora.”

 

When Sora had asked Kairi to come along with him to pick out his wedding clothes, he clearly hadn’t known what he was bargaining for. She sent him a message asking him if it was okay if Naminé, Xion and Olette could come along. And he said yes, because he was the kind of person who felt the more the merrier. Four determined women with minds of their own who had known him for a long time, was a whole different kettle of fish.

 

“Are you kidding me?” Xion said to Kairi, holding up her hands. “Did you not see how he looked in the dark red?”

 

The tailor in Twilight Town they were visiting was actually Riku’s idea, it was where he usually had his clothes made. The owner, an older woman named Jana, took one look at him and said, “No wonder he gushes about you all the time, aren’t you just adorable.” in a tone that reminded him of Riku, kind but with a constant undertone of sarcasm. And being called adorable at twenty-six years old was certainly an experience.

 

“But dark red is so dark!” Kairi replied, tugging Sora’s sleeve. He was standing on a small podium, half covered in a fabric swatches of different colors. Standing in the half circle of women, he felt like a sacrificial lamb and he wondered if he was going to get out of it alive. “He’s getting married on a beach! What do you think, Sora?”

 

Sora thought he wanted to step down from the podium and join Naminé on the couch, who was watching quietly with an amused look on her face. He loved buying new clothes, and he loved his friends, but all of them at once, fussing over him was a bit much.

 

He was currently wearing seven different colors, and to him they all looked nice. The dark teal reminded him a little of the color of Riku’s eyes, but he wasn’t sure it suited him.

 

“Uh, I like the blue.” He immediately felt Xion’s impressive gaze on him. “I like the dark red, too!” He wiggled a bit under the weight of the fabric piled on top of him. Jana walked back into the room, carrying a few more swatches, all varying shades of white. Naminé stood and walked over to him.

 

Jana handed her one of the fabric swatches and Naminé began to take the colors off. “You could wear all white, it’d look nice against your skin tone…” Once he was free of the myriad of colors, Naminé gently lay the white fabric over his shoulders. Both Kairi and Xion stood silently by, watching Naminé gently take control of the situation. “What kind of flowers are you wearing during the ceremony?”

 

Sora smiled, feeling slightly more patient again.

 

“An amaryllis…” For pride and determination, he’d thought of Riku when the lady sorting through the flowers had told him.

 

“An orchid…” For integrity and friendship, he’d chosen a purple one, it had looked pretty against the orangey red of the amaryllis.

 

“Uh, plumeria…” For new beginnings, for obvious reasons, but most of all Sora thought they looked cute. He remembered Kairi used to make flower crowns of plumeria when they were little, Sora and Riku good-naturedly wearing them whenever she asked them to.

 

“And anthurium.” Not so much for its meaning — hospitality — but because they were heart shaped and looked cheerful.

 

The lady said she was going to finish it off with tropical leaves and green, which Sora had nodded dutifully at. He was sure she’d make it look pretty. They were all flowers that grew back home, and it felt right to wear them on his wedding day, even if he didn’t live on the Islands any more.

 

Naminé nodded and dug around the pile of colored fabric swatches until she found a piece of dark yellow fabric, with a sienna and orange pattern and delicate gold stitching that made it look luxurious. “You’re always,” She draped it over top the white sturdy linen. “Such a bright presence, in so many people’s lives, Sora. Especially Riku’s. It’s no wonder he calls you sunshine.” Sora blushed just a bit. “This would color nicely with your flowers.”

 

Sora couldn’t see himself, but just listening to Naminé speak made him feel excited. She turned to the other three women and Jana, who were listening with great intent. “What do you think?”

 

Kairi’s face softened and her eyes looked bright. “I think it’s perfect. You’ve always got such a good eye, Nami.” She looked at Jana. “What do you think?”

 

The older woman winked and began to pull the fabric off Sora’s shoulders. “I think we can make something out of this. You said the wedding’s on the beach?”

Kairi nodded, “The ceremony’s on the beach, they’ll both be in the water, up to their calves about… he wears his pants a little shorter anyway.” Jana nodded and crouched down to measure the distance from the sole of his foot to halfway up his calf. “The reception’s at Radiant Garden…”

 

“Maybe a nice pair of boots in the same color as the jacket, for the reception.” Olette piped up and all three women nodded in agreement.

 

“Make sure the collar’s a little lower,” Xion pointed out as Jana continued to take measurements. “So you can see his pendant.” Sora’s hand immediately raised to touch the silver crown. “This is going to look great.”

 

“Riku really likes yellow.” Sora mentioned, gripping the pendant in his fingers. All of the women in the room gave him a knowing look. Sometimes women still confused Sora, it was like they knew everything about you just from looking at you. “I wonder what he’ll wear.”

 

Jana clucked without looking up from her notepad, and then gave one of his hands a tap as a signal for him to raise his arms, which he did dutifully. She wrapped her measuring tape around his waist and then his hips. “I’m sure you’ll be very impressed, he’s quite the clotheshorse, that one. Though I suppose all you Keyblade masters have a flair for the dramatic.”

 

Less than an hour later, four jabbering women lead him out of the shop. He was instructed by Jana to come back in four weeks, so they could do a fitting and she could finish the clothes off. He was glad he’d decided to start so early, he had no idea it took so long to make clothes for a wedding.

 

“Let’s get lunch, I’m starving.” Olette said, arm in arm with both Xion and Naminé. Kairi had slotted her own arm in Sora’s, and he leaned into her a bit. “My treat!”

 

“You know,” Kairi said as they made their way to the bistro. “I was thinking about wearing yellow, so we’ll match.” Sora looked down at her. She was almost a head shorter than him and she still had the intense effect of awakening a protective urge in him. “But it’s not really my color. It’ll clash with my hair!” She almost looked a little sad that she couldn’t wear the color and they wouldn’t match. She’d worn hints of it when she was younger, but never as much as Sora was planning on.

 

Suddenly he had an idea. “You could wear purple.” She looked up at him. “Like my orchid, for friendship.” The gleam of sadness in her eyes suddenly turned to the gleam of happiness. “You always look really pretty in purple.”

 

She walked on her tiptoes so she could kiss his cheek. “Smartypants. Why didn’t I think of that?”

 

“You can’t always be the one with the good ideas, Kairi.” He replied, leaning into her affection.

 

Kairi leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked, their pace matched.

 

—-

 

_2 months_

 

Since Sora had taken a sabbatical from the missions, Riku had been overjoyed to have him around all the time. They were still apart on occasion, when Riku had business elsewhere, or Sora went to visit Donald and Goofy at Castle Disney, but most days of the week they slept in the same bed.

 

They were however, so busy they barely actually saw each other during the day. Their schedules conflicted often so they only saw each other fleetingly in the hallway. Still, it was worlds better than not seeing each other for weeks, sometimes months.

 

Today was different though. One of Riku’s students had cancelled their tutoring session due to a fever, and Sora had managed to get a hole in his schedule that coincided with Riku’s sudden free time. The only sensible thing they could think of to pass the time with their new found freedom had Sora curled up in Riku’s lap, his legs half over Riku’s legs and the arm of the chair. One hand was bunched up in the taller man’s shirt and the other was buried in his hair.

 

Kissing for the sake of it wasn’t something they did often. Considering how little time they had used to have together, it seemed silly to waste it and they usually became intimate quickly.

 

Riku had laughed when Sora strode into his office, looking like he’d stolen from the cookie jar and launched himself into Riku’s lap like they were teenagers again and driven more by hormones and the newness of physical intimacy than the desire to just spend time together. Whether ten years had passed or not, Sora’s lips were still heaven on his own, his lower lip full and the tiny swoop of his cupid’s bow a magnet for Riku’s own mouth. Unlike several years ago, when they had both understood the concept of kissing but had no idea how good it could actually get until they spent hours in any place they could trying to figure it out, kissing now was easy and natural and always felt like a prelude to more, even if nothing more followed.

 

“You’re gonna get me in trouble.” Riku mumbled in between the wet slide of their lips.

 

Sora hummed and chuckled into the kiss but did nothing to go the opposite way of getting Riku in trouble, instead pressing himself even closer, making Riku’s arms tighten around his waist. One warm hand teased underneath Sora’s shirt before sliding up his back to rub slow, soothing circles.

 

Riku knew on some level he really needed to get Sora out of his lap and get on with his day, but the warm weight of the other man on his lap was almost too good to do anything about.

 

Usually whoever wanted to enter his office knocked on the door and waited until he replied, but whoever had knocked — Riku heard vaguely out of one ear, the other ear too involved with the breathy moans Sora was making — apparently didn’t have the time to wait for a reply.

 

“Oh my goodness!”

 

And the door shut with a loud bang, both of them pulling apart like someone had fired a gun.

 

Mortification rushed through Riku’s body like an avalanche, and he made immediate moves to get Sora out of his lap. Sora however, burst into laughter. Obnoxiously loud laughter. The kind of laughter that usually made Riku laugh along with him for no other reason than that the sound was infectious. “Stop laughing, you lunatic and get up!”

 

He gave Sora a good shove, the other man stumbling off Riku’s lap still laughing.

 

“I am so sorry, Riku! I thought you were alone.” The voice behind the closed door sounded as mortified as he felt, but just slightly amused as well.

 

Riku straightened out his clothes and made a valiant attempt at straightening his hair, but Sora just kept on laughing. “Yeaaah, that’s not going to do you much good. You’re a rumpled mess, Master Riku. Will you stop…” He pulled Riku’s frantic hands away from trying to straighten his appearance and gave him a quick peck. “It’s Aqua. She knows all about the things two people who love each other get up to when they’re alone.” It would’ve been funny if it didn’t sound like Sora was teasing him.

 

He stepped passed Sora and pulled the door open. Her cheeks were rosy and she had a hand pressed to her mouth. “I really am sorry, I thought I heard you say come in.”

 

Sora joined Riku in the doorway. “Well, if you’d given us ten more minutes…”

 

Aqua’s flush deepened and Riku gave Sora a shove. “Excuse him, he was raised in a cave.” He held the door open. “Was there something you needed me for?”

 

“Oh, just a few details about the lesson schedules, I had a few ideas how to make them more efficient.” Aqua said.

 

Sora put his hands behind his head and gave her a grin. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound like something worth sticking around for. I’m gonna go see what the kids outside are up to. Speaking of!” He leaned forward so his face was near the swell of Aqua’s belly. “Can I?” He asked, holding one hand up.

 

Aqua smiled and nodded, making eye contact with Riku when Sora pressed both hands flat on her pregnant stomach. “Hi, baby! Your mommy just got your uncle Sora into a lot of trouble with your uncle Riku.”

 

“Sora.”

 

“He’s gonna want to have a serious conversation about being professional later,” Aqua giggled and raised her eyebrows at Riku. “but what he doesn’t know is that your mommy doesn’t mind, because being unprofessional is probably how you were…”

 

“Sora!”

 

Sora threw his hands up and made his way to the door. “Fine! You two have your super exciting conversation, I’m outta here. Bye, baby and Aqua!” He smiled at Aqua’s little wave but stopped in the doorway to give Riku an exaggerated eyebrow waggle. “ _Bye_ , _Riku_.” And shut the door with a resounding bang.

 

“I’d apologise for him, but I’m willing to admit it was mostly my fault.”

 

“Riku, I don’t mind if you kiss your fiancée in the privacy of your own office.” Aqua said, sitting across from where Riku stood, one hand on her belly. “Maybe try the lock on the door next time.”

 

“See, this is why you’re in charge.”

 

Aqua leaned her chin on her hand and gave him a smirk. “And Sora was right,” Riku’s smiled dropped at what she was suggesting. “It’s also why I’m pregnant.”

 

—-

 

_Before the wedding_

 

Because they shared their group of friends, it was a bit of a pickle who would be going on whose bachelor party. So after much deliberation and a few coin tosses they’d manage to make an even split.

 

For Sora, it was Roxas, Kairi, Ventus, Xion, Lea, Hayner and Pence.

 

For Riku, it was Terra, Aqua, Naminé, Olette and Isa.

 

They’d both had a more dignified celebration at Castle Disney, Riku had dinner with Mickey and Minnie while Sora had zoomed off for the day with Donald and Goofy.

 

Kairi had been torn between not being able to be at both parties. Over the years she and Riku had grown close, a quieter camaraderie that neither she nor Riku had with Sora. But he had smiled at her and told her to go with Sora. His party was bound to be more adventurous.

 

Riku’s party was slightly more lowkey, his group of friends and he had found a café in Twilight Town that was famous for its good food and wine. Olette had recommended it. Halfway through the evening, nearing midnight, the other group had crashed in to the café, unaware that they would run into them.

 

“Oh no, shut their eyes! It’s bad luck to see each other before the wedding!” Kairi jumped on Sora’s back and covered his eyes with both hands, ignoring his loud shout of protest. Isa being the tallest of the other group, covered Riku’s eyes with one hand.

 

“Sorry Riku, I don’t make the rules.” He said, and Riku smiled in what he believed was Isa’s direction.

 

“You guys know the wedding is the day after tomorrow, not tomorrow.” It may as well have been tomorrow, his stomach full of giddy butterflies, heightened by the amount of wine he’d had already.

 

“Kairi! Get off, I wanna see him!” Sora was clearly more inebriated than Riku was, and he wrestled his way towards Riku, Kairi still on his back.

 

The seven on Sora’s side guided him towards Riku while the six on Riku’s side guided him towards Sora until they met in the middle, both of their eyes still covered by their friends.

 

“Oof, Riku?” Sora asked, a little wobbly on his feet. His body felt familiar against Riku’s, the smell of whatever he’d been drinking, plus the coconut oil he used in his hair and the citrusy cologne he wore giving him away completely.

 

“Hi, Sora.” Riku replied. Sora laughed and tilted his face up, drawn to where the sound of Riku’s voice was coming from. Their friends surrounded them, laughing and talking and teasing them, but for some reason it still felt like it was just the two of them. Without their sight, everything happening around them was heightened, the sounds of their friends, the smell of the café, the lights flickering between the fingers keeping them from seeing each other.

 

From the back of the café, over by the bar a voice cried out, “Give us a kiss, then!” And everyone burst into more laughter, including the two in question.

 

Riku’s head titled down instinctively, the feeling of Sora’s breath so close guiding him in the right direction. “You wanna know something funny?”

 

“Yeah, what’s that?” Sora replied, their lips nearly touching.

 

“The next time I do this, you’ll be my husband.” Riku said, using all the willpower he had to keep from kissing Sora like no one else was around.

 

The laugh that left Sora’s lips and tickled Riku’s own because of the closeness sounded a little helpless but giddy like Sora always sounded when he laughed at something that made him happy.

 

“Better make it a good one then.” Sora said, leaving the last iota of space between them for Riku to take.

 

He did, and the thunderous applause and laughter around them had nothing on the sound of their hearts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're getting married.

When Riku was little, his mother made him wind chimes made from all different kinds of seashells. They didn’t have much money, so she was always making him things by hand. His clothes, his toys and his gifts. Sometimes she would make things for Sora and Kairi, and Riku would be a little embarrassed but his friends had always been ecstatic. His mother taught Kairi how to make things with seashells and flowers, something she continued to do to that day.

 

The seashell wind chime hung in the window over his bed, now almost a foot too short for him. The music it made was irregular and ethereal, accompanied by the sound of gulls and the breeze.

 

His mother promised to wake him early, so he wouldn’t have to rush. The ceremony started at noon, on the play island. They’d both insisted there, despite their resident temple priest’s suggestion they should have the ceremony in the temple. They promised to visit the temple after the reception, to do the proper rituals. Luckily, the priest had known them since they were boys and had been appeased with their offer.

 

The door opened, the chimes clinking together as the breeze blew a little harder.

 

“Good morning, moonflower.” Aya said, her hands full with a tray that carried tea and probably a sandwich of some kind. The little name she called him made him smile from his position on the bed, his feet dangling over the edge. She’d called him that since as long as he could remember. “Brought you tea.”

 

The smell of jasmine made him turn onto his side. Aya sat down next to him on the edge of the bed, taking one of the cups in her hand, the other reaching over the run her fingers through his hair.

 

“Hi, mama.” Riku replied, shutting his eyes at the sensation of her warm hand running through his hair. Only three people in the world made him feel calm just by touching him like that, and those were his mother, Sora and Kairi. “What time is it?”

 

“A little after nine, just like you asked. Kairi sent a message she’d be by later.” She reached over and handed him the other cup of tea as he sat up a little.

 

Once upon a time, he heard someone at the market talking about his mother. How she’d been beauty when she was younger, vibrant and vivacious. Why she even stayed on their island had been a mystery to everyone, when she could’ve married well and moved to the main island. But she’d been head over heels for Riku’s father, a tall, handsome boy named Haku who had stolen her heart with his dashing ways, even if he’d only been a dockworker.

 

Then they said, that when Haku had left her, she’d grown hard and lost her vibrancy. And even though Riku had his mother’s hair and eye color, he was the spitting image of Haku and how could she stand to even look at him?

 

When his mother held him in her lap after he burst into tears on the ferry ride home, he refused to tell her what had made him so sad. If he really was the reason his mother didn’t smile much anymore, he didn’t want to make that worse.

 

“I want to say something to you,” Aya said, her fingers soothing against his scalp. “and I want you to remember you’re twenty-seven years old so you don’t get to be embarrassed by me anymore.”

 

“Mama…” He started.

 

“Shush, just let me say this.” She set her tea cup down. “I’m very proud of you. Especially today. Because today, more so than ever, I see you as a strong, proud, _good_ man. I don’t think I told you that enough growing up.” Her eyes watered a little and Riku suppressed the urge to interrupt her. “Don’t argue… I was so caught up in making sure you had what you needed, that I forgot about just being with you, as your mother. I never saw that your father leaving hurt you just as much as it hurt me, and I’m sorry.”

 

Riku’s eyes began to warm and he took her other hand in his own. “We both made the most of it. I guess we both never realised we had each other after he left. And I never blamed you for it. I had a good childhood, with a roof over my head and friends.”

 

“And now you’re marrying your oldest friend, I can’t think of anything more perfect.”

 

He squeezed her hand and took a sip of his tea. “Yeah, he’s alright.”

 

“He’s a sweet, good man that makes you happy and that makes him perfect for you.”

 

After that they sat in silence for a few minutes to drink their tea, the wind chimes still tinkling musically above them, Aya stood and placed their cups on the tray. “Alright you, up and into the shower. Kairi will no doubt be banging on the door in a little while, so you’d better be at least decent for her.”

 

Riku pulled himself out of bed and stretched with a groan before heading towards the bathroom to shower. He could hear his mother puttering about in the kitchen, even when he stepped under the spray of the shower, the water taking a minute to warm. He thought of Sora, probably still asleep or being dragged out of bed by an erstwhile Kairi. He made sure to shower thoroughly, washing his hair with the soap his mother used, the same kind she’d been using for years. When he stepped out the mirror was fogged and he dragged a hand over the wet surface.

 

His face was flushed from the warm water and he noticed his hair was starting to get longer in the back. He’d have to ask Sora whether or not he should cut it.

 

He scrubbed his hair with a towel until it was practically dry. Back in his bedroom his mother was waiting for him, her long silvery hair braided and twisted in a knot at the base of her neck. On any other woman it would have looked matronly but her delicate bone structure made it look elegant. She was still wearing her nightgown and kimono, but she’d put on makeup and the fresh water pearls he’d given her as a present for her last birthday.

 

“You first,” She said, gesturing to his wedding clothes, which she’d laid out on his bed. “When you’re done I’ll go get changed. We should leave the coat until before we leave, otherwise it might crease, it’s still early yet.”

 

Before they could start there was a knock at the front door and Aya stepped out of the room to open it. While she was out of the room Riku pulled his underwear on and stepped into the black silk, flat front pants. Just as he was fastening them, his mother returned with Kairi in tow.

 

“Good morning! My my, if this is how you’re getting married, am I glad I get a front row seat!” Kairi teased.

 

She looked stunning, her dress a combination of lavender and periwinkle that made her eyes glow. Her dark red hair braided in a thick loose plait that wrapped all the way around the back of the head, where it was fasted on her temple with a pretty pin with purple stones.

 

“You look like you just walked out of a fairytale book.” Riku said, sliding an arm around her shoulder when she dove in to hug him. He was careful not to disturb her hair.

 

“Says the man who’s about to look like a fairytale prince.”

 

“Sora?” He asked.

 

“Up, not so much at ‘em. You know how he is in the morning,” She walked to the bed and wrapped the shirt he would be wearing. It was light grey with little silvery hearts embroidered into the edges. The cuffs were folded over so his forearms and elbows were bare, held back by shiny silver buttons. On the back of the shirt in dark grey, black and white was the dreameater sigil that was etched into Riku’s skin. Even though it was going to be covered with a coat, he wanted Sora to see it when he took it off later.

 

“I’ve got a vague idea what he’s like in the morning.” Riku replied, leaning forward so Kairi could help him into his shirt. He could easily have done it himself, but tradition stated that people about to get married would let themselves be dressed by people who loved them, for luck. The next item was a dark grey silk scarf, that his mother wrapped around his neck and straightened. She pulled on his shirt until it draped nicely over his broad shoulders, the scarf accentuating the deep collar.

 

“And no clothes. Not a stitch! In his parents’ house, even!” Kairi said, clearly outraged she’d been confronted with a naked Sora so early in the morning.

 

Aya giggled and walked over the dresser to get a comb. “I’m sure Sora’s parents have seen him without anything on before, knowing that boy.”

 

“He is happiest when unburdened by clothing. I think he’s scarred both Aqua and Terra a fair few times by now. Especially Terra. Ventus never really seems to care.” Both Kairi and Aya laughed.

 

“Oh!” Kairi said and she reached hands up to the back of her neck. “Tradition, I give something of mine to you to borrow, because you’re my friend and I wish you happiness and luck.” She unfastened her necklace, the opal droplet she’d been wearing since she was a little girl. “Sora’s already got a necklace, obviously, so you can wear mine. I gave him my armband to wear.”

 

Riku dropped his forehead against hers as she reached up to fasten it around his neck. “Thank you, Kairi.” She patted it against his collarbone and leaned her head up to press a kiss underneath his eye, all the way up on her tip toes.

 

“You’re welcome, Riku.” They both grinned at her each other until they heard a sniffle behind them.

 

“Mama…” Riku said, opening one arm so she could settle under her son’s and a girl who Aya had watched grow into a woman’s arm.

 

—-

 

“So it’s forty minutes to the wedding, what are we supposed to do?”

 

Isa sighed, Lea had asked the question twice already. He’d been readily enjoying the sunshine, from their spot half in the shade and half in the sun on the island where the ceremony was going to take place. Over the past hour more and more guests had been arriving, and what seemed to be at least sixty or seventy people scattered across the beach, the pier and the wooden bridge leading to the Paopu tree. There were people there Isa had never seen before, most likely from the worlds Sora and Riku had visited in the past.

 

“Sit patiently and wait for the other groom to arrive.” Isa explained, taking Lea’s hand in his own in an attempt to will him to be more patient.

 

Sora had arrived ten minutes ago. Isa had been stumped at his appearance. He’d known the man for nearly eleven years, and when they first met he’d been a young man with gangly arms and legs and too much nerve for his own good. Now, there was something about him even Isa couldn’t ignore, especially dressed in the colors of sunlight. He stood by the shoreline, happy grin on his face as he spoke to King Mickey and the priest.

 

“Not a bad choice for him, huh?” Naminé said, joining them with Roxas and Xion. She was wearing a pea green lacy dress and already there were freckles dotting her cheeks from the sun.

 

“Without Naminé we’d all still be wearing plaid and checkers.” Roxas said, his fingers threaded through Xion’s. He was in black and white and red, still a statement set of colors, but much more elegant and understated. “She knows her stuff. Do you know what Riku’s wearing?”

 

Naminé shook her head. “Unfortunately not, but I’m sure he’ll look handsome.” Sometimes when Naminé looked at Riku, both Xion and Roxas noticed she looked a little wistful and sad, like she was seeing someone a memory in him. They knew about the replicated version of Riku, but Naminé only told the story once in its entirety. When Roxas made a little charm that looked like the one she had given replicated Riku she’d both cried and looked happy.

 

“He always does.” Xion said, her white tunic and rose red skirt a pretty contract to her stark black hair. “Don’t look at me like that, you know he’s a good looking man.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Roxas’ cheek.

 

“Sora looks like he’s going to jump out of his skin at any minute.” Lea said, leaning back against the stone wall that was starting to warm in the sun.

 

“Speaking of, I’m gonna go down and join him.” Roxas said, hurrying off the low ledge and onto the beach.

 

They all looked in his direction and it was true, his excitement seemed to be rolling off of him in waves. Both the priest and the King looked highly amused at his state of being.

 

“Ah, here we are!”

 

Half the crowd looked towards the pier, where Riku was helping his mother out of the boat. Once he was upright Terra stood in front of him and they shook his hands, saying a few words before making their way across the pier. As Naminé assumed, Riku did look handsome, a long intricately embroidered, jewel toned brocade long sleeved coat covered his black pants and gray shirt, silver tassels keeping the open coat from blowing open in the breeze. His feet, like Sora’s, were bare.

 

As he made his way through the throng of people, who smiled at him and patted his back he locked eyes with Sora, who was looking in his direction like a flower looking for the sun.

 

“Those two still know how to put on a good show.” Lea said, looking impressed himself.

 

Riku stepped down the wooden stairs onto the beach and kissed his mother’s cheek before he left her to stand with Sora’s parents, his shoes in her hands.

 

Kairi followed Riku and Terra across the sand until they reached King Mickey, who was smiling.

 

“Thank you for being here, Mickey.” Riku said. “I know this isn’t doing wonders for the world order, but we wanted to share this with everyone.”

 

Mickey laughed. “Gosh Riku, how could I say no? We’ve been waiting for you two to get to this day for ages now! And you fellas are so well known, it wouldn’t be fair not to share this with all your friends.”

 

“Society wedding.” Kairi coughed into her hand and Terra patted her on the back with a bemused expression.

 

Riku smiled again and Mickey stepped aside.

 

Then there was no one between him and Sora anymore, who looked like sunshine caught in a bottle. All the yellow and orange tones were new, he was used to Sora wearing darker colors, black and grey and dark red, maybe some blue on occasion. But now he looked like he was made of gold, the sunlight catching in his hair.

 

“Hi, Riku.” Sora said. He held out his hand.

 

Riku reached out and took it. “Hi, Sora. You’re early.”

 

Sora laughed and tugged him towards the water. “I’m on time! And only because of a fair amount of shouting, begging and threats of bodily harm to get me out of bed happened. Which I am not supposed to blame Kairi for.”

 

“I’ll deny it if you do!” She piped up as she followed them into the water.

 

“So, here we are. Now that we’re here, and uh, nearly a hundred other people,” Sora looked out over the crowd all hyper fixated on the two of them. “should we just do this?”

 

“Might as well,” Riku nodded to the priest, who was already calf deep in the water and ready to begin. “now that we’re here.”

 

They waded further into the water until they were calf deep as well, in front of the priest. Kairi followed them until she was a few feet away between them, Terra on Riku’s and Roxas on Sora’s. A hush fell over the island, only the sound of the waves and the breeze and the birds around them.

 

They let go of each other’s hands.

 

“When the gods created life, they created the sky,” the priest gestured towards the blue sky above them, “the sea,” he pointed down to the water, “and the land.” He folded his hands. “And in the sky they created the sun, the moon and the stars. In the sea, they created living things, that would find their way to the surface. And on the land, they created trees, and mountains, beasts, birds and people.”

 

Riku’s eyes met Sora’s and for the first time in years he felt mesmerised by them. “In all these livings things, the gods made souls, lonely but everlasting. When the gods saw that the souls of living things were lonely they made them hearts, and filled them with light and darkness.”

 

“Sora and Riku, born to the Destiny Islands, have decided to join their hearts and souls, so that they will never be lonely again. For this gift the gods have given them, we give thanks.”

 

“To the east,” Riku, Terra and Kairi turned to the right, so they were facing east. Those in the crowd who were native to the islands turned as well, the others following. “comes the sun. The wind of new beginnings and of genesis.”

 

They all turned a quarter again, so they all looked at the island. Everyone else turned, no longer able to see the couple in the water. “To the south, the wind of change and wandering souls.”

 

As if he was unable to wait anymore, Sora’s hand reached out for Riku’s, who immediately raised his to take Sora’s fingers in his grasp. They turned again.

 

“To the west, where the sun sets. The wind of endings and where all things must go when their life has passed.” The priest gestured for them to turned one last time, so they had turned in a full circle.

 

“To the north, the wind of truth and homecoming.”

 

Riku and Sora turned towards each other again, their hands still joined. “Sora and Riku, your oaths today cannot be made without the eyes of others to see them. Say their names.”

 

Sora held out one hand behind him and Roxas took it with a smile, before letting it go again. “I’ve asked Roxas to stand with me, my friend and my other someone.”

 

The priest nodded to Riku. He held out his hand for Terra to take.

 

“I’ve asked Terra to stand with me, my friend and my mentor.” Terra took his hand held it tightly in his own before letting go.

 

“Together,” Sora began. Riku followed him. “We have asked Kairi to stand with us,” Sora took over. “because she is the friend of our hearts combined.”

 

Kairi took both their hands, her eyes already watering. With Sora and Riku’s hands joined and their hands joined with Kairi they formed a triangle and an energy none of them had felt before formed between them.

 

After a moment she let go and took another step back and they took a step towards each other, both hands joined between them.

 

“Sora,” the priest said in his low rumbling voice. “you have come here today to make an oath of a life with Riku. What do you swear to him?”

 

Sora cleared his throat and gave Riku one of his brightest smiles. “My heart is yours,” He offered. “wherever you go. No matter where you go. It’s yours, always. It will never leave you, or forget you, or want any other but yours. I swear it.”

 

“Riku,” the priest continued. “you have come here today to make an oath of a life with Sora. What do you swear to him?”

 

He leaned over and pressed his forehead to Sora’s, no longer satisfied with just their hands touching. “My heart is yours,” He offered in return. “wherever you go. It will always protect you, and keep you company and remind you that you are strong. As long as I live you will never be alone. I swear it.”

 

“Have the witnesses seen and heard these oaths and do they accept them as truth?”

 

Kairi, Terra and Roxas nodded. “We do.” They said in unison and smiled at one another.

 

“Then at last, your hearts and souls, given to you by the gods and made lonely by life, have found one another and shall remain so until everything ends. May they keep you both in the light, and protect one another in the darkness.”

 

Sora burst suddenly in laughter and threw his arms around Riku’s neck, who responded instinctively by wrapping his arms around his waist and they kissed as if all of the people around them had disappeared. Like only two days ago, when they had kissed in the café and they were surrounded by joyous voices and thunderous applause that neither of them could hear.

 

When Sora pulled away, his eyes were a deeper blue than they had ever been and Riku suddenly felt like he was seeing him for the first time in years. Sora pressed his cheek to Riku’s and whispered, “I knew you’d find me.”

 

“Always.” Riku whispered in reply, before suddenly the sound of their friends and family came rushing back and they were both laughing. They took one another’s hand and ran onto the beach, their hands joined. Sora raised their joined hands into the sky and everyone cheered again.

 

Riku wasn’t sure who lifted him up onto their shoulders, but Sora and he stuck out above the crowd, both laughing.

 

“Hey! We promised to be back at the temple for blessings and prayers before midnight!” Riku called out to Sora.

 

“So we need to get this party on the road!” Sora shouted back, waving his arms. “You hear that?” He turned his shouting voice to the crowd cheering and carrying him. “It’s time for a party!”

 

The crowd cheered again and they drifted in a sea of their friends until they came together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part: the reception! Idk who's getting drunk yet, but whoever is, is getting really drunk.
> 
> I really, really liked writing this. It was almost self-indulgent. So I really, really hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it. 
> 
> If you want to talk about it, or anything else, you can find me on Twitter at @laughertea. 
> 
> Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reception, the blessings and the night before the rest of their lives.

Someday Riku was going to get used to telling Kairi she was right. When he looked around him, back in the Land of Departure, there were more than a hundred people, maybe more. Definitely more. There were people he’d never seen before in his life, but who greeted Sora enthusiastically.

 

Which brought him to another point, he’d never shaken so many hands in his life.

 

There were rows and rows of tables set up on the grass, with strings of lights and streamers strung between the buildings. The music that came from the other end of the courtyard was faint and pleasant, and there were flower arrangements on the tables that matched the ones he and Sora wore pinned to their wedding clothes.

 

Amaryllis, orchids, plumeria and anthuriums for Sora and for Riku… irises, orange blossoms, white heather and bright yellow daffodils. They stood at the entrance of the courtyard, still fully garbed in their wedding clothes, flowers pinned to their chests and shaking hands dutifully with every guest that passed.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw several of the guests surrounding his mother, who looked a little flustered from all the attention. Before he could be noticed, Riku turned back to the person whose hand he was shaking, smiling wide and thanking them for coming.

 

Luckily, no one stayed to speak to them for very long so the line of guests moved along swiftly, and the weather in the Land of Departure was even more pleasant than on the Islands. The sun was shining brightly but there was a cool breeze that kept them being too hot in their elegant but multi layered clothes. At one point he felt Sora lean to the side a little to nudge his arm against Riku’s and Riku gave him a small smirk. He knew Sora was eager to get the formalities over with and just flit around and speak to everyone in a more casual setting.

 

“You two,” Bringing up the rear of the line were their friends, who had been the last to leave the Islands. Aqua held one hand out, the other hand on her incredibly pregnant belly. “it really was something. Like something out of a dream.” Riku took her hand first and then leaned in gently to give her a tentative hug and a kiss on her cheek, mindful of her wider circumference.

 

“Thank you, Aqua, for being there. And for letting me borrow your husband.”

 

Terra joined her and took Riku’s hand. “It was for a good cause. Thank you again for the honor, Riku.” Aqua laughed and moved along, receiving a slightly more enthusiastic if equally careful hug from Sora, who preceded to thanking the baby as well, Aqua laughing good-naturedly.

 

Riku gave Terra’s hand a firm shake before letting him move along to congratulate Sora.

 

Over the years Riku had learned to tell Ventus and Roxas apart, their facial expressions and body language slightly different, Ventus hair just a slightly dustier blonde than Roxas’ brilliant golden spikes. But most of all, there was always something about Ventus that reminded Riku of Sora, maybe because he had spent so long in Sora’s heart.

 

“Congratulations, Riku,” Ventus said, offering a hand and smiling when Riku took it with a smile of his own. “you two will be happy for a long time, I think. You two have such strong hearts, and I know that about at least one of you from personal experience.”

 

Riku laughed and nodded. “Thank you, Ven. But I think you’d know too, that it’s his heart that makes mine strong.”

 

The smile on Ventus face was almost enigmatic as he let go of Riku’s hand to move down the line to congratulate Sora.

 

“You know we had a pool going which one of you would crack first.” Lea said, pulling Riku into a hug that reminded Riku of Sora’s enthusiasm when it came to physical affection, even though he was used to being pulled into hugs by people shorter than him. “So now I’m out a hundred munny because of you.”

 

“That’ll teach you to underestimate Sora.” Riku laughed and patted him only slightly awkwardly on the back. Lea huffed and moved along.

 

Isa, ever Lea’s calmer other half, took Riku’s hand in his own and they hugged firmly but briefly. Riku and Isa had struck up a friendship years ago, a quiet kind that they both lacked being surrounded by such energetic friends. “Congratulations, Riku. As always I wish you happiness and good fortune, but today more so than ever.”

 

“Thank you, Isa.” Riku replied, taking Isa’s hand in both of his before letting go.

 

After him Xion followed, who surprised both Riku and Roxas, when she threw her arms around Riku’s neck and pulled him into a hug that could rival Sora’s. “It’s just a wonderful day, isn’t it?” She asked, but Riku felt the question was almost rhetorical and he nodded in agreement.

 

“You know…” Roxas stood before him with a serene look. They’d been friends for years now, but there was always something between them. “First time we met, who’d have thought this is where we’d end up?” He held out his hand without breaking eye contact with Riku. Even Sora seemed to stop to look at them both.

 

“I stopped trying to predict where the future’s gonna take us.” Riku replied and took Roxas’ hand.

 

“I understood why you did what you did, when you showed up in Sora’s heart during his first Mark. You love him more than anything, don’t you?”

 

Again, out of the corner of his eye he could feel Sora’s gaze soften at the sight of them both. “More than anything.” Riku confirmed and he felt Sora’s fingertips brush on his arm. “Can’t be helped, I guess.”

 

Roxas reached up suddenly and grabbed him by the shoulder. “I guess it really can’t.” He turned to look at Xion just as Riku turned to look at Sora, who both looked confused and slightly exasperated.

 

“Could you two be any more sappy?” Sora asked, his hands on his hips.

 

“Right?” Xion said, matching his position. “Rox, come on, you two are holding up the line!”

 

Roxas give Riku one last smirk before letting himself be pulled away by Xion to congratulate Sora. The line had practically disappeared, leaving only Naminé, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy. Naminé walked up to them first. Even after more than ten years, she still looked delicate as a flower and the remnants of the memories his replica had left behind in his heart made it skip a beat at the sight of her. It comforted him to know that some part of his other self had survived in him, and that the love he had felt for Naminé had been real, even if he didn’t believe he had been.

 

“It was so lovely.” Naminé said, her voice so soft it was practically a whisper. “I’m so, so happy for you two. How far we’ve all come…” Her voice only wobbled a little before Riku enveloped her in a hug. Despite her appearance she felt strong, and her presence made him feel lighter. “What a beautiful day, thank you for letting me be a part of it.”

 

Riku leaned over and kissed her forehead and took one of her hands in his own, pressing it to his chest. “Thank you for being here. You’ll never be alone, Naminé, not as long as you and I remember him.” She nodded and smiled, before letting herself be dragged into Sora’s embrace, who happily twirled her around once.

 

Naminé joined the others, her buttery yellow hair in the breeze making something in Riku’s heart flutter and feel peaceful.

 

Kairi’s arms did their utmost to wrap them both in a hug, but no matter how much time had changed them, and how much of a powerhouse she was now, she was still a slight figure. Riku was at least two heads taller than her and had to bend down to fit in her embrace properly. “My boys…” She said, already sounding a little weepy. “My favorite boys, seeing you two happy is like watching a dream come true right in front of my very eyes.”

 

“Ah, Kairi, don’t!” Sora said, wiggling around, almost sounding like he was sixteen and easily embarrassed again. “You know I hate it when you cry.”

 

“I’m not crying, you jerk!” She said, wiping her cheek with the back of her fist. Riku took that moment to rearrange his arms so they both fit in his embrace, Sora tucked into one side of him, Kairi in the other.

 

“We love you, Kairi.” Riku said, his voice still steady despite both of his favorite people in the world looking so teary eyed. “Our ocean princess, we could never have done this without you.” She grabbed onto them both one more time and squeezed as hard she could.

 

“I’ll get the party started, okay! No more tears.” She wiped her face one more time and smiled brighter than the sun. She and Sora hugged one more time, both of them giggling when the hug squashed his flowers just a little.

 

“What a day, you two!” Mickey held out his hand to Riku, who kneeled down and took it like he had hundreds of times over the years. “I wish you all the luck and happiness in the world, and I hope all your days are filled with light!”

 

“Thank you, Mickey.” Riku replied. “When I think about it, you brought us back together again. Guess you always could see into my heart.”

 

“All I could see,” Mickey said. “was that your heart wanted to be with Sora’s. And his was always calling out for yours, even when neither of you could hear it yet. Didn’t seem right to ignore that!” Sora grinned brightly and got down on his haunches to shake Mickey’s hand as well.

 

“Thank you, your Majesty! For never giving up on us.” Sora said, his blue eyes brighter than the sky.

 

Now that everyone had passed only Donald and Goofy remained.

 

“I’ll uh, join you, Mickey. See if we can get everyone to their seats.” Riku said, brushing his hand over Sora’s arm. “Donald, Goofy.”

 

“Congratulations, Riku. It’s a real honor to be here on your special day!” Goofy started, holding out a hand that Riku shook with a smile. Donald waited with as much patience as Donald was capable of mustering before holding out a hand of his own.

 

“You’re gonna have to take care of Sora, Riku!” Riku took his hand with an amused look. If he didn’t know any better he’d think Donald was about to get really emotionally. Throughout the years Sora had been a surrogate son to both of them, and while they both trusted Riku implicitly, there was no one in the world they were more protective of than Sora. “Or we’ll be having words!”

 

Riku nodded, stood up straight and put one hand on Sora’s shoulder, who leaned into him with a smile. “I will, I promise. Thank you for always taking such good care of him, when I wasn’t around to do it. There’s no one else I’d trust protecting him to more than you two.”

 

Both Goofy and Donald looked bashful, a sputtering of indecipherable words erupting out of Donald. Sora was beaming, his smile bright as the sun.

 

“Need a minute?” Riku asked.

 

Sora nodded. “You don’t mind, right? I don’t want to keep everyone waiting…” He looked out at the crowd with a worried expression.

 

Riku leaned in and kissed Sora’s cheek warmly. “Don’t worry. It’s our wedding, you can take as long as you like.” He smiled at Donald and Goofy once more before walking off to join Mickey, who was waiting patiently for him.

 

Once Sora, Donald and Goofy were alone they huddled together, their arms linking them together.

 

From where he stood Riku couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could tell from the angle of Sora’s shoulder that it was something for their ears only. Sora’s friendship with his two comrades was something that had grown over the years, both for Sora and for Riku. He had been so spiteful, so destructively jealous over Sora’s new found friends, but now there were few people in all the worlds he had more respect for than Donald and Goofy. They’d stood by his side for years as he grew into a man, their loyalty and faith in him unwavering for all those years.

 

“I’m going to see if we can get everyone seated.” Riku said with a sigh, but still smiling. Most of the people present had made their way to the tables, Kairi, Roxas and the others directing guests to sit where they liked. The long tables stood in rows, with heaps of tiny stools and pillows in the grass. When Aqua had agonised how they were going to get so many chairs outside Sora had laughed and suggested everyone just sit on the grass, they like did with the students during outdoor lessons.

 

Nobody seemed to mind, the guests laughing and chatting.

 

Riku waited a little while until nearly everyone was seated and before he could turn to see if Sora, Donald and Goofy had finished yet he felt a warm hand slot into his own.

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Sora’s voice was a soft and a little rough, his eyes still a little shiny. Riku squeezed his hand tightly.

 

“You okay?” He knew the answer already, but it was hard wired into him to ask.

 

“Yeah!” Sora reached over with his free hand to straighten Riku’s jacket, which didn’t actually need straightening but Riku indulged him. “Have I told you how handsome you look? Because you look so handsome.” For just a second Riku wished it was just the two of them standing in the grass, no matter how good it felt to be surrounded by all their friends and family.

 

“Thank you.” Riku replied. “Jana really pulled out all the stops for us, huh?”

 

Sora nodded enthusiastically and gave Riku’s hand a little tug. “Come on, I want to go show you off to everyone. This is a _society wedding_ , remember?”

 

“As if you and Kairi would ever let me forget.” They turned to find their own seats but both stopped in their tracks when the entire crowd burst into applause, a sea of familiar, smiling faces greeting them. Riku felt Sora’s grip tighten, so he turned to look at him. Sora looked back at him and smiled, a light blush on his cheek from all the attention they were getting.

 

“Congratulations, Riku.” Sora said in a low voice.

 

Riku laughed and smiled back at him. “Congratulations, Sora.”

 

They both turned to the crowd still smiling, only mildly embarrassed, and let themselves be pulled to their seats by their friends.

 

—-

 

“You don’t mind if I sit with you two, do you?”

 

Riku looked up from the conversation he was having with his mother, and immediately got up, ignoring Aqua’s gesture that there was no need to fuss. Riku reached out to grab a stool she could sit on and Aya reached out to hold her arm so she could sit down.

 

“Enjoy it, dear girl, you’re carrying a life inside you. You’re allowed to be fussed over.” She said, her hand still on Aqua’s arm when she was sitting as comfortably as she could manage. “How long do you have to go?”

 

“Three weeks,” Aqua said a little out of breath. “and a few days. I just hate how Terra treats me like I’m made of glass. Before I got pregnant he had no problem throwing me across the room when we sparred or did demonstrations. But one baby later and suddenly I’m a princess that needs to be carried around in a basket.”

 

Both Aya and Riku laughed. “To be honest… I realise it’s physically impossible, but if it were Sora, I’d probably be just as bad.”

 

“Please… you’d be worse!” Aqua replied, laughing herself. “Have you ever thought about it? I know you just got married, but you two have been together for ages.”

 

Riku looked up at her with surprised eyes. No one had ever asked him that, not even his mother. He assumed it was because he was a man, and the person he was spending his life with was a man, so biologically they could never have that together. He looked out across the crowd where a large group of guests were dancing, including Sora. His new husband had left his fanciful jacket with Riku so he could move better and was now in the process of enthusiastically dancing in circles with several people at once.

 

“I ah, guess I’ve never really thought about it.” He said, turning back to Aqua and his mother. “Not really in the cards for us, is it?”

 

Aqua looked thoughtful. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

 

“Interesting way to describe a situation with children.” Aya said, laughing and putting a hand on her son’s shoulder. “But she’s right, you know. And you’d be a wonderful father.”

 

Suddenly the conversation had moved from just an off hand comment to a serious discussion about whether or not Riku was ready to be a parent, something he’d never really given any thought to before then. He shrugged and looked back towards Sora, who blew a kiss at him when their eyes met and twirled off again.

 

“Sora would be, I don’t know about me…”

 

“You’re kidding, right?” Aqua said, before Aya could intervene. “Riku, your students adore you! You know I had seven separate students come to me to ask if you getting married meant you’d be leaving. One of them was in tears at the very idea!”

 

“You’re kind and gentle and patient, sweetheart.” Aya said. “You really would be a wonderful father. But it’s yours and Sora’s life now, and you can do whatever you want with it. Have children, don’t have children… it’s not as if you don’t have a rabble of them here that apparently love you very much.”

 

All of his students had come by at some point, Sora’s face had glowed so brightly every time Riku was pulled into a hug or given an earnest congratulations or a small gift he thought he’d burst into a beam of pure light.

 

“Don’t worry, you and Sora will be uncles in a few weeks.” Aqua said and picked up a glass of water on the table. “Little Keyblade wielders is one thing, let’s see how you handle a baby.”

 

The three of them laughed and continued to talk for a while until they were interrupted by a cheerful, breathless Sora.

 

His clothes were rumpled and starting to come untucked, but he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, throwing himself onto Riku’s back, his arms coiling around his husband’s neck. “Dance with me?”

 

“Absolutely not.” Riku said, already grinning.

 

Nothing could quite beat a pout on Sora’s face and out it came just as Riku expected it might.

 

“Mama Aya!” Sora turned his pout to his mother-in-law in the hopes it would work on her, forgetting completely she’d had Sora’s lifetime as well to build up immunity to its power. “Tell Riku he should dance at least once with me!” And there was little she could do to argue with that, pout or not.

 

“Riku, humor your husband. I’m sure he’ll ask for a slow song, and you always pretend you’re a horrible dancer when you’re not!”

 

Riku gave a decent pout of his own that his own mother had betrayed him.

 

“Fine.” He relented and laughed when Sora cheered and pressed an enthusiastic, slightly sloppy kiss on his cheek. Riku stood with Sora still on his back, the other man laughing loudly. They could hear Aya and Aqua laughing as Riku made his way to the dancing guests, Sora still clinging to his back.

 

Sora mumbled into his ear, “This is the fourth time Kairi’s danced with Ventus, did you see?” Riku hooked his hands underneath the back of Sora’s knees and hitched him up a bit higher.

 

“No, do you think…”

 

“Please, they might as well just come out with it already.” When they reached the edge of the group of dancers Riku let the other man slide down, smiling when he felt Sora’s arms still firmly around his waist.

 

Suddenly the music changed from upbeat to a slower song, and vaguely familiar to Riku. Sora perked up and grabbed Riku by the hand to drag him into the crowd. “Wait, is this…”

 

“This is the song we danced to in Corona, the first time we…” There was no need to explain any further. Sora wrapped an arm around Riku’s shoulder, his other hand intwined with Riku’s. They were so close their chests were pressed together and Riku’s hand instinctively pulled Sora closer by the waist, a matched set. The people around them continued to dance, but had left a space open in the middle for them.

 

“You kissed me. Just like that. I was shocked, I didn’t think…” Riku was more sure about what he had with Sora than anything in the world, but the memory of his seventeen year old self endured in his memory.

 

“You didn’t think what?” Sora asked, looking up into Riku’s eyes, his forehead level with Riku’s chin.

 

Riku sighed, readjusting his grip on the small of Sora’s back. “Didn't think you’d want me as more than anything than your friend.” They danced in slow, small circles to the music. “But sometimes the way you looked at me or the way you smiled… I’d get hopeful, and then I’d hate myself for fooling myself.”

 

“And look at you now.” Sora said, his face serious, the hand around his shoulder reaching up to tangle his fingers in the hair at the nape of Riku’s neck. “It’s a good thing you were hopeful. Your heart has never given up, not even when you fell into darkness. I’m happy it never gave up on me either.”

 

Riku leaned down to rest his forehead on Sora’s. “It’s not going to, ever. I swore an oath before that it’s yours, it’s always going to be.”

 

Being prone to crying was something that never went away as Sora grew older, but the sudden rush of emotion on his face made Riku’s eyes water too. “Shut up…” Sora said, not meaning it of course, and stood up on his toes so he could kiss Riku. Just the way he did the first time, only this time when he pulled away Riku didn’t look afraid.

 

—-

 

The sun had set a few hours ago, and slowly but surely the guests began to trickle away. By that time both Riku and Sora were happily tipsy on wine and giddy on all the emotion of the day. Each guest was greeted and thanked warmly before they left, and Riku had never been more thankful to Kairi for convincing them to have a large wedding.

 

It had been so much fun, and the constant glow on Sora’s face as he was surrounded by all of his friends was an added bonus.

 

“We’ve got an hour left to go to the temple before midnight.” Sora said, pulling his jacket on and tying it not quite as neatly as it had been that morning. “Maester Tama is going to be peeved if we don’t show up.”

 

Riku raised his arm when Sora burrowed himself into his side so he could put it around his shoulders. “It’ll be fine, we’ll use a portal. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to get there.”

 

With a bounce in her step both Riku and Sora were going to confront her on at a later moment, Kairi bounded up to them with a key in her hand.

 

“What’s that, Kairi?” Sora asked.

 

She held it aloft. “Key! For your hotel room. Three nights at the Blue Lantern, just like you asked.” She then held the key out to Riku, who took it with a grin.

 

A surprised noise burst out of Sora. “You didn’t!”

 

“I did.” Riku’s grin was turning into a smirk.

 

The Blue Lantern was the fanciest hotel on the main island in the tourist district, as fancy as hotels went on Destiny Islands. It was, as the name suggested, covered in blue mosaic that glittered in the night from all the lanterns in the windows. Sora and Riku would gape at it whenever their parents took them there, promising they’d stay there one day when they were older and much richer than they were then.

 

Their honeymoon was rather elaborate trip to several different worlds they hadn’t been to see together yet. But apparently Riku wanted to start their trip at home, and make a childhood dream of theirs come true before they hit the road.

 

“So we’ll finish up here, you see these loonies all the time anyway,” Kairi gestured to their friends, who were the few remaining guests, huddled around a table still laughing and drinking. “you two hurry to the temple to say your blessings and uh,” she winked and pointed at the key in Riku’s hand before turning to rejoin their friends. “have a good time!”

 

Riku shoved the key in his pocket and rolled his eyes. “Thank you, Kairi!” He called after her.

 

Everyone at the table waved and shouted their goodbyes at them. “Thanks for coming everyone! We’ll come by to visit soon!” Sora called out to the them, waving enthusiastically.

 

“Ready?” Riku asked, his Keyblade materialising into his hand. Sora tucked his arm around Riku’s waist and nodded.

 

“Ready!”

 

Riku held his Keyblade aloft and they were surrounded by light for a few moments, a feeling like they were flying even though their feet were still on the ground rushing through them. When the light faded they were on Destiny Islands again, right in front of the temple.

“With time to spare,” Sora said, tugging Riku along by his waist into the temple.

 

Inside the temple was empty save for one or two priests, sweeping and rearranging the altars, relighting the candles. The temple was shaped like a cavern, altars to all the gods in alcoves along the sides. At the far end of the temple stood Maester Tama, looking far less imposing without his ceremonial robes on. When he caught sight of them he smiled.

 

“Come, boys,” they weren’t strictly boys anymore, but Maester Tama was older than water so they both figured they could be fifty and he could still call them boys. “I’ve readied the altar for you. You have your offers?”

 

Both Sora and Riku unpinned the corsage of flowers from their jackets as they made their way across the temple. There were always two things that reminded Riku of home, the crashing of waves and the smell of temple incense. No other world could ever quite capture that feeling.

 

“You may both kneel before this worldly visage of the gods and give them an offer in exchange for a blessing.”

 

Sora and Riku knelt before the altar and lay their flowers on the stone slab. Like they had done a hundred times before, they folded their hands into a gesture of prayer and closed their eyes. Maester Tama gently put stalks of burning incense between their stretched out fingers, the smoke curling around their faces lazily.

 

“If you have asked of the gods how you would like to be blessed you may open your eyes and lay the incense in your offering.” The Maester said in a patient, well rehearsed voice. He was smiling down at them when they both opened their eyes and lay the burning ends of the incense in their offering of their wedding flowers.

 

From the incense blue and green flames lit up, swallowing both piles of flowers in fire before burning up completely. Riku sneaked a glance over at Sora, who was watching the flowers disappear into ash intently, the fire reflecting in his blue eyes. When the fire disappeared only two piles of ashes remained, a few fly away burnt up petals whispering across the stone plate of the altar.

 

“You may seek to find if the gods have blessed your union.” Maester Tama said, gesturing at the altar once more.

 

They looked at each other, smiled and then reached over to the ashy remains of the flowers. Their fingers became immediately covered in dark grey ash and it was Sora who first gave a happy cry. From the ashes he pulled a ring, dark silver and smooth. Riku did not verbally react but smiled widely when he pulled a gold ring out of the remains of his own offering. On the ring he spied a row of tiny crowns, just like Sora’s pendant, engraved all along the inside of the ring.

 

“Me first,” Riku said, reaching out to take Sora’s hand.

 

He slid the ring deftly onto Sora’s ring finger, amazed how it fit perfectly. With his eyes closed he leaned over and pressed his lips to ring, the metal cold but his husband’s skin warm. He remained with Sora’s hand pressed to his lips before he felt a hand run through his hair.

 

“Me next,” Sora said in a gentle tone.

 

Riku lifted his head and offered his own hand. The silver ring slid onto his own finger just as smoothly as Sora’s had, and he was thrilled to see how well it matched the ring Sora had given him when he’d ask him to marry him. Sora leaned up to kiss him, his fingers warm in Riku’s own.

 

“Bless you, my boys.’ Maester Tama said and they broke away from each other. “May you live long and happy lives together.”

 

They remained in the golden light of the altar for a little while longer, their rings warming on their fingers.

 

—-

 

Absolutely everything in the Blue Lantern was blue. The walls were covered in tiny mosaic, dozens of shades of blue shimmering in the moonlight that poured in from the open balcony doors. The room was so pretty it almost felt decadent to Sora, who was used to sleeping in his ship or simple places whenever he travelled.

 

The bed was huge, covered in white sheets that were now tangled around their bodies. They’d fallen into bed laughing and breathless, pulling their fancy wedding clothes off piece by piece until there was nothing but them. Sleeping with a man with whom he’d been sleeping with for years should feel at least a little habitual, but something about that day had changed the energy around them. Riku was always an intense lover, but he’d seemed almost desperate as they made love, his hands and his mouth everywhere at once.

 

The second time had been lighter, as if the desperation had seeped out of their bodies, and they went once more, giggling as much as they gasped and moaned. They’d fallen asleep practically the moment their heads hit the huge pillows, the only parts of them still touching were their ankles slotted together.

 

A few hours later, just a while before dawn, Sora woke.

 

Riku slept soundly, on his front with the sheets pooled around his waist, looking like something out of a racy book he’d found hidden under his mother’s bed once. The pale skin of his back glowed just a blue in the moonlight as the rest of the room and Sora ran a slow hand over it, tracing the Dream Eater sigil with a smooth touch.

 

“Wha’s it…” Riku mumbled in his sleep, rolling his shoulder unconsciously into Sora’s touch.

 

Sora shushed him and pressed a kiss on one smooth shoulder before getting up.

 

He made his way to the balcony, picking up his discarded pants and slipped them on. It would have probably been easy for him to roll over and go back to sleep, but something drew him outside. When he stepped outside his eyes widened with how bright the moon was and he settled on a stool beside the edge of the balcony.

 

“Figures you’d show up.” He mumbled, looking up at the moon. A tingling rushed through his fingers, a memory from long ago, holding a Keyblade almost as big as he was, more powerful than he understood.

 

He looked back into the room and sighed when he saw that Riku was still sleeping soundly, his face turned away from the bright light of the moon, one arm curled underneath the pillow Sora had been sitting against. His heart thumped a little harder than usual, urging him to get up and go back to bed.

 

Before he did though he turned back to the moon, the waves of the ocean below lazily coming in and pulling away again. He held up his hands and curled them into a heart shape with the moon behind them. With a voice that was his own but felt far away he said, “He’s mine now, you can’t have him,” and dropped his hands into his lap.

 

Sora closed his eyes and listened to the waves for a little while, his thumb rubbing absentmindedly over the smooth metal of his new ring.

 

The moon remained where it was long after Sora got up to back to bed, until the blue light made way for the orange and yellow light of the dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The meaning for Sora's flowers were already in the last chapter so here's Riku's:  
> Iris: Royalty, hope, wisdom, faith and valor  
> Orange blossom: good fortune and marriage, often used in wedding wreaths  
> White heather: luck or in Riku's case, fulfilment of a dream  
> Daffodils: Awareness, inner reflection, memory and forgiveness
> 
> Thus ends the wedding part of this series, I am planning on writing their honeymoon. So look out for that soon! 
> 
> As for the temples, I did borrow their general idea from FFX. I figured if both Tidus and Wakka are a part of Destiny Islands, I can borrow the idea of Maesters and Temples. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading, it was as always a joy to write even if I got a little stuck halfway because work was killing me, and I look forward to writing the next part! If you'd like, you can find me on Twitter at @laughertea.

**Author's Note:**

> Had to split it up into two chapters, one for the preliminaries up to the wedding and one for the wedding itself. Expect that one soon!
> 
> A few things to note, yes Riku does dive into Sora's heart to fix what's causing his migraines. As for Riku's wedding outfit, it will be described in detail in the next chapter, including the flowers he'll be wearing. Roxas will be Sora's own witness and I'll be writing from his perspective too in the next chapter.
> 
> I liked the idea that Destiny Islands has a religion of its own, but one that focuses on the more elemental parts of the world - gods of the sun, the rain, the wind, etc. And each island has its own temple, the size depending on the size of the island. 
> 
> This was really, really fun to write. I look forward to writing the wedding itself. Obviously I get this means that not only do I have to write how they got together in detail, but also the honeymoon. Soriku's a spiderweb, and I'm a little fly. I got a little stuck on this, due to work being really busy but my friend introduced me to BTS' album Love Yourself and I just flew straight to the end. 
> 
> I'm on Twitter, so if you feel like making a new friend, I'm your girl! You can find me at @laughertea. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think!


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